Season 1 Episode 9 – Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo

 

Season 1 Episode 9 – Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo

It’s Christmas in South Park, and the school’s Christmas production has all the cheer sucked out of it!

Original Airdate

17th December 1997

Featured Music

  • Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo (original music)
  • Lonely Jew On Christmas (original music)
  • Kyle’s Mum (original music)

Character Debuts

  • Mr. Hankey 
  • Mr. Mackey 
  • Father Maxi

Synopsis

After Sheila learns her son Kyle is playing a very Christian role in the school’s Christmas play, she leads a crusade and gets everything Christmas related taken out! South Park is now a very unfestive place, but rumour has it a talking piece of poo, who no one believes is real sans Kyle, can save the day and bring Christmas back to South Park.

Kenny's Death

…. HE DOESN’T DIE!

My Thoughts Back Then

Another one from Season 1 I didn’t see until I got the DVD of the season in April of 2005, Mr. Hankey I thought was the bees’ knees back then, and did for most of high school. I had already seen the Season 4 Christmas episode by this point, so I knew who he was.

My Thoughts Now

3rd Western home video-only intro, and no normal opening credits for this episode. We instead cut to the school for the Christmas play, and a nativity scene. Mr. Garrison is directing, and talking like it’s a film. Sheila storms in and she’s MAD! As her family is Jewish, she finds Kyle being in a Christmas play offensive. I’m a big believer in the traditional meaning of Christmas, but NOT at the expense of grilling other religions, like the way Mr. Garrison calls Hannukah crap to Sheila. Heck, one year, a Muslim friend of mine wished us all Merry Christmas like he was Father Christmas!

Kyle starts singing the Mr. Hankey song, which angers Sheila AND Mr. Garrison, and it’s snowing on already snowy ground, we don’t really get snow here in Australia, especially in my area. Officer Barbrady is being clueless, it’s NOT illegal to eat Christmas snow if you’re Jewish. Stan starts worrying about Mr. Hankey, and Cartman is his usual nasty self to Kyle. Kyle then breaks into a sad song, Lonely Jew on Christmas. Sends more of a shiver down my spine now than when I was 14. Kyle is walking by everything Christmassy too, including trees, toy shops and sleighs whilst singing.

We go to Town Hall, where Sheila somehow manages to rustle up most of the adults in a small town, which presumably is largely Christian, and also more traditional than progressive. Cartman also calls Kyle’s mum a bitch here at the rally, religious and environmental representatives also have demands, resulting in a new icon for Christmas being suggested, Kyle suggests Mr. Hankey! Mr. Garrison suggests getting rid of the Mexicans, totally in line with his character. Gerald and Sheila are scolding Kyle at home, while a menorah burns Ike…

Kyle is sent to bed early, while Mr. Hankey comes out of the toilet! Watching this scene at 30 I find grosser now – all the turd stains all over the bathroom! Kyle is caught with a now not-talking turd in his hand… Mr. Hankey then comes into his room – and wait, Kyle wears his hat to sleep? Uncomfortable! Even I’ve never done that! The town now has no Christmas decorations too – I feel sad

Cartman has no idea what a vibrator is… and thinks it’s for him! Kyle brings Mr. Hankey to his friends, and tries to bring him to life. This point of the episode reminds me of a real life scenario where a staff member complained about something and the Wild West morning tea was stripped of anything western. Rings all too many bells. Too many laws have already been made crippling the Christmas play, and Cartman sings the now infamous Kyle’s mum song. The rest of the kids are cheering along, even Wendy, and ESPECIALLY Mr. Garrison! Also note the smile on Stan’s face.

First appearance of counsellor Mr. Mackey, we also see Craig outside his office, although he’s not a full character until a later season. Mr. Mackey talks to Kyle about imaginary friends, and Mr. Hankey is found inside his cuppa – GROSS! Mr. Mackey puts Kyle on Prozac.

Kenny pulls cords out of the wall, above a water leak, and Kyle is admitted to the local nuthouse, Cartman doesn’t care. Meanwhile, the kids are in leotards, and it’s time for the Christmas play. Kenny has to take the Christmas star down, using a rickety ladder above a shark. He’s still here… Now, Chef sings a song about making love, which has NOTHING Christmassy in it. The performance is bizarre, and I’d walk out after 5 seconds – I like my traditional carols and real meaning of Christmas, right down to a Midnight Mass.

We also get the first of South Park’s live action commercials, a Mr. Hankey construction set – yuk! Especially at the end where the baby girl has eaten him… Back at South Park, there’s a fight going! Mr. Hankey comes out to save the day, and lectures the town on baking cookies and enjoying everything good in life. Everyone, Christian and Jewish alike, applauds, and the town are wishing Kyle a Merry Christmas, and have lit candles and singing Mr. Hankey’s song like it’s a carol. At the end, things seem off, and THE END appears, with Kenny celebrating his life!

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